The Fashion World Remembers Anna Piaggi As The Style Icon Dies Aged 81

Grazia Daily is sad to report that Anna Piaggi – fashion eccentric, style icon and legendary writer – has passed away. She died today aged 81 at her home in the Italian style capital of Milan.

The fashion week FROWs will be a bleaker place without her fabulously flamboyant outfits that matched her sky blue hair, rouged cheeks and vivid lipstick. In 2006, the Victoria & Albert Museum exhibited an entire show in honour of Piaggi’s remarkable career and estimated her personal wardrobe was crammed with no less than 2865 dresses and 265 pairs of shoes.

Her enigmatic and unique style inspired fashion fans and designers alike with Karl Lagerfeld and Marc Jacobs raving about her creative flair. Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana have previously praised her influence, saying ‘She is creative, eccentric and unpredictable, with a great knowledge of the history of fashion.’ Meanwhile one of her favourite milliners Stephen Jones said, ‘With Anna it’s about fun and interest and frivolity. It’s her crazy jumble of things. But it’s actually not at all crazy and not at all a jumble. It’s very disciplined.’ When she worked at Vanity in the Eighties, Piaggi formed a strong friendship with Manolo Blahnik, who has described her as ‘the world’s last great authority on frocks’.

As the news spread through Twitter, the fashion industry look to the social media site to commemorate Piaggi. ’23 years of working together, thousands of D.P. [Doppie Pagine – double-page spreads] realised together. You will always be remembered Anna,’ Vogue Italia editor Franca Sozzani tweeted. Dita Von Teese also took to Twitter, saying: ‘So sad to hear that Anna Piaggi, one of my last icons of beauty & fashion has passed. She was the height of glamorous eccentricity.’